Tuesday, October 25, 2011

If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

These are such important words in terms of the difference between the Law and Jesus Christ. Paul explains it throughout many of his epistles, but we are seeing the development of ideas regarding Jesus as High Priest in this passage.

The Levitical priesthood developed as part of the Law. It was a copy … a shadow … of that which was found in heaven … in Jesus. Remember, both Aaron and Moses were of the tribe of Levi (Exodus 4:14). It was from him that the Levites came.

But, Jesus comes from the tribe of Judah. There was never any mention of them serving at the altar of the Lord.

In the Old Testament, the only other mention of a priest who served God was Melchizedek. He came long before Aaron and the Levitical priesthood. So, the author makes the connection between the Genesis 14 passage regarding Melchizedek, the Psalm 110:4 verse (“You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek” – assumed to be a Messianic prophecy) and Jesus Christ.

After the author establishes the truth of the priesthood of Jesus Christ (who, by the way, could have been a Levitical priest, had God wanted it that way), he says something as kind of an aside … “For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.” (Hebrews 7:12).

Wow! There it is. The Levitical priests with their sacrifices had been set aside by the High Priest, Jesus Christ. If that type of radical change has occurred in the priesthood, the Law must also experience radical change.